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The honors section sits in the Education part of the Common App. It is where you list academic awards and recognition you received in high school, separately from your activities. It is short: up to five entries, each with a title, the grade levels you received it in, and the level of recognition.
It is also optional. Many strong applicants list one or two honors, or none. Here is what belongs there, how to fit each one into 100 characters, and what to do with the space you do not have.
How the honors section works
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Number of honors | Up to five |
| Honors title | Up to 100 characters, including spaces |
| Grade level | Each grade in which you received it (9, 10, 11, 12 or post-graduate) |
| Level of recognition | School, state or regional, national, international. Tick every level that applies. |
There is no description box. If an honor needs explaining, the title has to do it, and anything longer belongs in the additional information section.
Read next: The additional information section
What counts as an honor
- Academic awards: subject prizes, departmental awards, honor roll or principal's list, academic competitions.
- Selective programs you were chosen for, such as a competitive summer program or a state honors program.
- Honor societies, such as National Honor Society, if you were selected rather than simply enrolled.
- Recognition in competitions: math, science, writing, debate, art, music.
- Scholarships awarded for merit.
- Non-academic awards can go here too, but if they come from an activity already on your list, mention them in that activity's description instead to save space.
Honors vs activities: where each thing goes
| Put it in honors | Put it in activities |
|---|---|
| An award you received | Something you did over time |
| Selection into an honor society | Your role and work in that society, if you were active |
| A competition placement | The team or club you competed with |
| A merit scholarship | The job or project that earned it |
Some things fit both. Avoid listing the same thing twice: put the award in honors and the work in activities, so each entry adds something new.
Read next: How to write the Common App activities list
How to write honors titles in 100 characters
State Science Fair, 2nd place, Environmental Science category (1 of 180 entries)
English Dept Award for Creative Writing (1 student per grade)
Natl Spanish Exam, Gold Medal, Level 3
Honor Roll, all semesters, grades 9-11
Regional Math League, 1st place team; individual top 10 of 120
- 1Name the award as it is officially called, then add what it means if the name alone is unclear.
- 2Add selectivity where it is true and short: "1 of 3", "top 5%", "1st of 40 teams".
- 3Abbreviate well-known names and common words: NHS, Natl, Intl, Dept, HS.
- 4Combine repeated awards: "Honor Roll (all semesters)" instead of four entries.
- 5Order by level: international and national first, then state, then school.
Mistakes to avoid
- Padding with honors that are not selective, such as a certificate everyone received.
- Using all five slots for minor school awards while a major one is buried in the activities list.
- Leaving the title unclear: a reader outside your school will not know what the "Hawk Award" is unless you say.
- Inflating the level of recognition. A district award is not national.
- Listing the same award in honors, activities and the essay.
Questions
A score out of 100, a note on every sentence, the paragraph costing you most and a 10-point draft check, in 5–10 minutes. We never write a word of your essay.
Check my essay →